The Shot Heard 'round the World

As April 19th approaches, I think back to that spring day in Massachusetts when Americans were chafing under the bridle of the British Empire. When the British army marched to take weapons away from honest citizens; farmers, bankers, tradesmen, and merchants. And the honest citizens used those arms to resist tyranny. In 1775, the British army was the most professional and well equipped in the world. The British navy ruled the high seas. And a handful number of free men, honestly armed, stood up to tyranny at Lexington and Concord, sending the British army in full retreat to the safety of Boston. American blood was spilled along with British from that day and for eight long, bitter, desperate years until the birth of an infant, free nation. Thomas Jefferson said: "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." The article reprinted in the companion www.gadsden2006.wordpress.com is a powerful statement of what our founders would think of us today, and what their actions would be. July 4, 1776 was the day the Declaration of Independence was signed, but April 19, 1775 was the day free men stood up to tyranny and began the war for independence, without a national government telling them to do it. They did it because it was the right thing to do.

Oakland's Murderer Supporters

In typical Californian fashion, four police officers are murdered by a criminal, who is subsequently killed by police, and the people protest in support of the criminal. That is so typical of the Socialist Republic of California. Lovelle Mixon is a convicted felon, guilty of aggravated assault with a firearm. After being released from prison, he is apprehended as a suspect in a murder. Charges are dropped due to lack of evidence. Mixon, who is on parole, is being visited by his parole officer in Feb. 2009 when his parole officer cannot locate him. Following three more attempts to locate Mixon over the next three weeks, to no avail, Mixon is listed as Parollee-at-large. When Mixon is pulled over for a traffic violation, he begins shooting at the officers. As a convicted felon, Mixon should not be in possession of a firearm, but he is a criminal and does not obey laws. Mixon then runs to his sister's apartment to hide, very much like the Muslim terrorists hiding behind women and children, and he kills two more police officers. Mixon is then killed by other police officers, and the people of Oakland celebrate the deaths of four police officers and mourn a murderer. What a mess the country is in.

The Government Buckles on One

If you hadn't heard, the Dept of Defense had stopped selling fired small arms brass to ammunition manufacturers under the Obama administration:
By Drew Zahn
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

A recent government policy change has taken a bite out of the nation's
already stressed ammunition supply, leaving arms dealers scrambling to find ammo for
private gun owners.
Georgia Arms is a company that for the last 15 years has been purchasing
fired brass shell casings from the Department of Defense and private government
surplus liquidators. The military collects the discarded casings from fired
rounds, then sells them through liquidators to companies like Georgia Arms that
remanufacture the casings into ammunition for the law enforcement and civilian
gun owner communities.
But earlier this month, Georgia Arms received a canceled order, informed by
its supplier that the government now requires fired brass casings be mutilated,
in other words, destroyed to a scrap metal state.
The policy change, handed down from the Department of Defense through the
Defense Logistics Agency, cuts a supply leg out from underneath ammunition
manufacturers.
The policy has compelled Georgia Arms, for example, to cancel all sales of
.223 and .308 ammunition, rounds used, respectively, in semi-automatic and deer
hunting rifles, until further notice. Sharch Manufacturing, Inc. has
announced the same cancellation of its .223 and .308 brass reloading components.
"They just reclassified brass to allow destruction of it, based on what?"
Georgia Arms owner Larry Haynie asked WND. "We've been 'going green' for the last
dozen years, and brass is one of the most recyclable materials out there. A
cartridge case can be used over and over again. And now we're going to destroy
it based on what? We don't want the civilian public to have it? It's a
government injustice."
As WND reported, firearm sales have spiked since the election of a perceived
anti-gun president, and Americans stockpiling bullets have produced a stressed
ammunition market.
The Orlando Sentinel reports months of steady, heavy buying have left gun
dealers in Florida facing shortages of ammunition.
"The survivalist in all of us comes out," John Ritz, manager of a Florida
shooting range, told the Sentinel. "It's more about protecting what you have."
"People are just stockpiling," said a spokeswoman for Georgia Arms, which has
seen bullet sales jump 100 percent since the election. "A gun is just like a
car. If you can't get gas, you can't use it."
WND contacted the Defense Logistics Agency, the Department of Defense's
largest combat support agency, several times seeking comment or explanation for the
policy change but received none.
The National Rifle Association confirmed to WND that the DLA had been
instructed to require the scrapping of the brass casings but declined further comment
at this time.
Other gun advocates, however, have sounded off on the issue, eyeing the
change in government policy with suspicion and filling the blogosphere with
speculation that the effects of the policy change may be deliberate.
"It is an end-run around Congress. They don't need to try to ban guns – they
don't need to fight a massive battle to attempt gun registration, or limit
'assault' weapon sales," writes firearm instructor and author Gordon Hutchinson
on his The Shootist blog. "Nope. All they have to do is limit the amount of
ammunition available to the civilian market, and when bullets dry up, guns will
be useless."
A writer named Owen at the Boots & Sabers blog suspects the policy change is
an effort by an anti-gun administration to raise the cost of ammunition.
"This policy didn't come out of the blue," writes Owen. "The Commander in
Chief is clearly sending a message to gun owners that they should be paying more
for ammunition. If he can't do it through regulatory action, he'll do it by
forcing ammunition manufacturers to spend more on production."
Hutchinson reports Georgia Arms was manufacturing over 1 million rounds of
.223 ammunition every month, but without the ability to purchase expended
military ammunition, the company may be forced to lay off up to half its workforce
But due to pressure from across America this was changed:
NOTICE!!!
A hardy congratulation is due to our loyal customers, our good friends, and our fellow shooting enthusiasts through out this great nation! Due to the diligent and overwhelming effort of many thousands of you, calling, writing, and emailing our elected officials, DOD Surplus, LLC, has rescinded its prior directive that ALL small arms spent casings be mutilated rather than recycled. This was a huge victory for common sense and we would like to thank each and every person who made an effort and played a role in correcting this mistake. We at Georgia Arms are proud of everyone who took the time and had the courage to stand up for our rights. We believe, that by your outpouring of anger and dismay, you not only extended our liberty and freedoms but also took a stand for economic common sense in a time when we know our government should be trying to reduce costs at all levels rather than throwing money away for some politically correct reason or the other. Again, our hat is off to everyone who helped and thanks to God as well. We will roll up our sleeves and go back to work; we have 223’s and 308’s to build! (Below is a copy of the email we received from DOD on 3/17/09 @ 4:30pm)

GOD BLESS AMERICA !!!!!
(This was pertaining to an outstanding bid on a lot of brass that we won prior to the mutilation order. DOD sent us a bill for the brass after we had refused it due to the mutilation requirements. DOD on Monday sent us a bill for the brass and when we responded that we had already refused it due to the mutilation clause, we received this reply via email.)

I am sorry you hadn’t been informed –
Word came down that all shells 50 caliber or smaller CAN still be purchased without the mutilation requirement as long as kept in the US.
(As it was in limbo, I did not sent your EUC to Battle Creek until today, also why I have not contacted you for payment until today.)
Thanks!
Arana K. Wolin
Document Verification Supervisor
Government Liquidation, LLC
DOD Surplus, LLC
15051 N Kierland Blvd. #300
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
As was said in the Georgia Arms post on their website, congratulations to all who helped change this outrageous plan by voicing their opinion, and a special thanks to those who published this government 'end run' attempt around the second amendment.
This illustrates the need to protect the ENTIRE Bill of Rights. Great job!!!

1944 Vision Realized in 2008

This quote was sent to me by a reader and I found it fascinating.
Sixty-five years ago:

Norman Thomas knew what was going to happen to our country
in 2008 !!!!

Norman Mattoon Thomas (November 20, 1884 – December 19,
1968) was a leading American socialist, pacifist, and
six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of
America.

The Socialist Party candidate for President of the US,
Norman Thomas, said this in a 1944 speech:
"The American people will never knowingly adopt
socialism. But, under the name of "liberalism,"
they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program,
until one day America will be a socialist nation, without
knowing how it happened."
He went on to say: "I no longer need to run as a
Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party. The Democrat
Party has adopted our platform."

The Storm Has Not Yet Begun to Rage

You’ve heard the Boy Scout motto for years: “Be prepared.” And for years people have been saying to stockpile weapons, ammunition, food/water, and medical supplies, before you need them or before you can’t get them. Now with the election of the most anti-second amendment government in U.S. history, the time is not short, it is gone. No new legislation has been passed, but firearms have disappeared from the shelves and ammunition, if you can find any, is priced astronomically higher than it was a year ago. What is next? Have you been to the grocery store, lately? The price of basic staples has gone through the roof. With the orchestrated rise in oil prices and numerous weather calamities the cost of food is ridiculously high in the “Land of Plenty”. And we all know about the increased price of even over the counter medicines. What to do? Now? Good question. If you haven’t prepared, it will be difficult to do so with so many workers out of work. As the shortages begin to cut into what the welfare class can buy with their food stamps, they will resort to their preferred profession, thievery. And with increasing desperation, they will be come increasingly violent. You will have fight to keep what is yours. The problem is do you have anything to fight for or with? Before the socialists in Washington, D.C. enact more population control laws, disguised as “crime bills” buy what you can. A single shot shotgun and boxes of shells is better than a baseball bat. Non perishable Spam is better than cat food. Don’t think it will get that bad? Think the worst is upon us? Don’t look now, but the storm clouds are still on the horizon, the storm has not even begun to rage yet. While there is still time, buy food, over the counter medicines, Kotex; yes, Kotex, for the obvious reasons, but also for the original reason they were made: blood absorbing bandages for combat, i.e., gunshot, wounds during WWI, bleach for sanitizing and purifying water. Purifying water? Yes, dysentery and other diseases can be prevented if you have safe, clean drinking and washing water. Place two drops of household bleach in a quart of clear water in a canteen or bottle, replace the lid and shake vigorously and let sit for thirty minutes and you have a quart of safe drinking water. For cloudy water, four drops. Taste good? No, but it is safe and people must have water. Buy what ever weapons you can because you will have to rely on yourselves, remember Katrina? With every disaster, the looters, like the rats, come out and prey on the unprepared. And under the “pro-second amendment” Bush administration, the government confiscated guns from honest citizens, while leaving the looters free to roam at will.

The Real Threat to the U.S.

The founding fathers were brilliant in that they understood the real danger to the country they were forming. They did not restrict firearm ownership because they had seen first hand that weapons in the hands of the citizens are good and effective tools. They also set up a form of government that was a Constitutional Republic. The founders understood that the real threat to the continuity of our country was not the threat of idiots with bullets, but of idiots with ballots. That is the real and true danger to our country and our liberties. As it has been pointed out: "when you listen to fools, the mob rules". Case in point, the most recent election of Barack Obama by people who had no clue as to which party currently controlled Congress, could not name their Congressional Representative, nor could identify any policy stand or statement by ANY candidate. All they voted on was the promise of "change" without understanding that "change" is not always positive. With Pelosi, Murtha, McCarthy and the like ruling the House of Representatives; with Reid, Feinstein, Boxer, and Schumer ruling the Senate, and Obama the president, one is reminded of Julius Caeser being appointed Dictator in Perpetuity and the transformation of the Roman Republic into an autocratic empire. Change you can believe in.

Unlikely US Event

This will fall into the "unlikely to impossible to happen" arena, but...
A thought recently raced through my head that I am sure the professionals have already prepared for. What would be the prime time to knock the US out of international leadership and possibly knock the US out period?
A group, or individual, fanatically opposed to the US with financial backing of tremendous wealth acquires a loose tactical or back pack nuclear device (reference previous entry Border Worry Dec. 21, 2007)left over from the USSR or elsewhere. This person or group places the device near the Capitol Building in Washington, DC and detonates it on, say, Jan 20, 2009. What effect would that have?
The US would lose:
1. The out going president and vice president, their staffs and families.
2. The in coming president and vice president, their staffs and families.
3. The entire US Congress and their families and staffs.
4. The US Supreme Court and their families and staffs.
5. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Chiefs of Staff of the US Military.
6. Visiting foreign dignitaries and their families and staffs.
7. Numerous state governors present for the inauguration.
8. Elite members of our military, law enforcement, and emergency responder agencies.
9. Millions of Americans present for the event.
What lunatic jihadist with access to middle east oil dollars would not jump at the opportunity?
That would be a completely devastating blow to the country without doing damage to the national infrastructure. The radiation would be blown out to sea, and the gulf stream would carry it out, and away from the US.
There would be no national government left. Martial law would be ineffective with so many soldiers overseas and with the unified command gone. Near main infantry bases there could be some degree of control, but that would not extend far from the base boundaries. It would be the effective end of US foreign policy and we would have forces stranded overseas. Criminals would seize the opportunity to wreak even more havoc and anarchy would prevail where there was not a strong local government to quell it.
Unlikely, yes. It was unlikely that the Spanish would sink the USS Maine in Havana Harbor. It was unlikely that one torpedo would sink the Lusitania. It was unlikely that the Japanese would attack Pearl Harbor. It was unlikely that some undereducated Muslim radicals would fly planes into the Twin Towers.